Grease retainer with channeled spacer



May 12, 1936. w. A. HEINZE 2,040,379

GREASE RETAINER WITH CHANNELED SPACER Filed June .21, 1934 PER Patented-May 12, 1936 I l JNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,040,379 GREASE RETAINER WITH CHANNELED SPACE William A. Heinze, Chicago, Ill., asslgnor to Victor-Manufacturing & Gasket Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 21, 1934, Serial No. 731,698

the like and around rotatable shafts, especially in automobiles and similar devices. One of the important objects of this invention is to provide in a grease retainer or'oil seal, a flexible packing element, preferably composed of leather and formed in a cup or hat shape, which leather packing is mounted in an assembly for convenient installation in the housing and about the shaft of an automobile or the like.

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of a, combination of a flexible leather packing, having a portion bent or offset to encircle a shaft, and with means such as a garter spring to more closely force the leather against the shaft in oil retaining relation, the whole being mounted in a housing which, in addition to clamping'the leather securely in desired position, also furnishes a structure suitable fora drive or pressed fit into a, housing in oil-tight relationship therewith. Another and still further importantobject of the invention is to provide a grease retainer of the type above described which shall be so constructed and reinforced that extraneous force or other means applied to position the same indesired relationship with the housing and shaft will not, distort or loosen the assembly of leather and housing so that a tight-fit and eificient seal will always result.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawing and following specification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

' In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of the improved grease. retainer with channeied spacer of this invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a slight modification of the invention wherein the leather is preliminarily incased in an armor or sheathe.

Figure 3 shows a further modification of the device shown in Figure 2, a portion of the metal armor for thevleather being omitted. v

Figure 4 illustrates a still further modification wherein two elements are substituted for the channeled spacer of the other structures.

As shown'in the drawing:

5 grne reference numeral ll inFigureJ illus- 3 Claims. (01. 288-1) trates the packing. of the improved grease retainer of this invention, this packing preferably comprising a disk of leather or similar flexible material having an opening in the middle thereof I ,for the reception of a rotatable element such as a 5 shaft, and with that portion of the leather adjacent the opening bent outwardly somewhat into L-shape as shown to form a better contact-with the corresponding surface of the rotatable shaft.

A garter spring I2 is provided, contacting the 10 leather'adjacent its offset portion for the purpose of providing a better surface contact between the inner face of the leather and theadiacent surface of the shaft.

In order to hold the leather in position about 15 the shaft and securely mount the same in the housing through which the shaft passes, a retainer is provided which .comprises essentially a housing .or outer shell ll cup-shaped as shown and with a central opening for the-passage of the 20 shaft therethrough..

Positioned on the bottom of this housing or outer shell I! is a spacer member or the like I 8 which comprises essentially an annular channelshaped element, one arm of the channel having an 25 inwardly bent flange It as shown for avbetter gripping and positioning relationship with cor responding portions of the outer shell or housing It. It will-be noted that that portion of the shell ll adjacent the central opening is 'bent' in- 30' wardly so as to contact the inner periphery of the element It of the spacer and securely mount the same in desired position. These juxtaposed parts also act against the spring l2, thereby positioning the same in desired relationship in the hous-' 35 7 ing and with regard to the leather packing.

one face of the leather packing is positioned against the corresponding faces of the channel element lS-ll, and this channel element or spacer preferably has struck outwardly therefrom a series of tangs or projections 20 which penetrate the material of the leather so as to insure a firmer grip and also to prevent any undesirable turning of the leather in the housing which might otherwise occur owing to the rota- 45 tion of the shaft about which the leather is positioned. v

In order to maintain the packing in desired relationship in the shell or housing, a retaining.

washer 22 is preferable, this being of an outside 50 diameter equal to the inside diameter of the shell I4 and positioned therein over the leatherin such a'manner as to clamp the leather between its inner face and the corresponding outer face of the channeled element It.

After this assembly has. been completed, a flange 24 of the shell II is spun down over the outer edge of the washer 22 so as to produce a unitary structure which can then be readily inserted in position in a housing and about a shaft by drive or pressed. fit, and on account of its reinforced structure, Willi-withstand all ordinary stresses and strains due to, this driving or pressing action, while, at the sametime, the leather is always securely mounted in the housing for proper and emcient oil sealing relationship with a shaft passing therethrough. 1

A slight modification of the invention is illustrated in Figure 2 wherein the leather packing element 30 is preliminarily incased in an armored or metal sheath 32 which covers the outer face of the leather, and .has its inner end 34 bent inwardly and thence downwardly into clinching relationship with a secondary armor or shell portion 36 positioned against the inner face of the leather and which element 36 is preferably composed of metal of substantially less-thickness than the metal comprising the element 32. The armored portion 36 likewise has inwardly struck tangs or the like 38 so as to more securely grip the leather in desired position, and it will be notedthat the member 34 extends inwardly and flts against the leather over substantially its entire flat surface and has its inner periphery terminating along substantially the line of bend of the leather 30 whereby a better sealing action against a rotating shaft results.

A housing 40 similar to the housing 14 and a spacer 42 similar to the spacer l6-l6 are provided to complete the assembly together with the garter spring l2.

A combination of the various parts' may be used, as, for example, the spacer ring shown at 62 in Figure 4 may be eliminated, and the channel shown at 52 in Figure 3 substituted therefor. In Figure 3 is shown a further modification of the invention of Figure 2 wherein the inner plate 44 being bent armored plate is omitted, the outer armored inwardly "as at 46 to actually clinch and grip the leather 48 in non-slipping and non-rotatable relationship therewith. This assembly is then mounted in a housing 50 together with a channel-shaped spacer 52 and the usual garter spring l2.- I

In Figure 4, another modification isillustrated, and in this instance, the leather packing 54 is held in position by means of a'pair of washers 56 and "as shown, one contactingeach face of the very efficient grease retainer leather and held in position in an outer shell or casing 60 by means of an annular spacer or ring 62. The usual garter spring I2 is also provided.

The above construction provides a simple yet which is economical of manufacture and whiclnonaccount of its ruggedness,-meets all the requirements of the trade while, at the sametime, complying with the requirements of competitive manufacturing,

' particularly so far as economy of production is concerned.

--therein and an inner I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

l. A grease retainer, comprising a flexible packing element and a housing for the same, said housing including an outer cup-shapedhnnular shell, an armor for the packing, said armor forming another wall of the housing and comprising a relatively heavy metal washer with one edge in-turned to grip the packing element, and a relatively thin metal washer against the inner face of the packing with its outer edge under the in-turned edge of the heavier washer and with its inner edge acting against a bend in the packing and means in the shell for positioning,

spring acting against the said inner flange of the packing.

2. A grease retainer, comprising a flexible packing element and ahousing for the same, said housing including an outer cup-shaped annular shell, and means in the shell for positioning the packingelement and spacing the same away from the bottom of the shell, said means including a channeled spacer, and additional means acting against the packing for maintaining the same in desired surface relationship with the rotating shaft, said means comprising a garter spring, the

packing being L-shaped in cross-section to form an inner flange, and the garter spring acting against the said inner flange of the packing, the channeled spacer providing a compartment between itself and the packing for housing the said garter spring, and an in turned lip at the inner periphery of the outer shell for positioning the channeled spacer and for acting against and also positioning the garter spring. v

3. A grease retainer, comprising a flexible annular packing element L-shaped in cross section and a housing for including an outer cup having a rim and at least one side wall and means in theshell for positioning the packing element and spacing the same away from the bottom of the shell, said meansincluding an armor for the packing the armor including a facing element garter the same, said-housing -shaped annular shell,.

forming one wall of the housing when assembled ments inclosing one of the arms of the packing element, both of said ele'-.

and with the inner element acting against the-' bend inthe packing, and an annular spacer in the shell acting against the armor'for position ing the packing. 

